To think that the middle classes are liars and actors?

I think to consciously drop your accent is sacrificing a little bit of your soul. It kind of smacks of insecurity too.

But it is pretty well established that going to university does (or used to) modify peoples accents. Being around lots of people from other parts of the country, and needing to be understood, seems to lessen strong accents a bit. Its not always deliberate.

I think its a case of you are who you hang with/your friends are a reflection of who you are.

Most people tend to have friendships with people that not only have the same interests, but also similar income, this changes through life.

Think of it like someone wanting to quit drugs, those that are successful eventually stop being around other drug users.

In terms of 'snobbery', I would maybe see it as sometimes, depending on their experiences prior to being MC, that they truly understand how shit life can be.

Eg, as a young teen that was allowed to stay out late and hang around outside shops, there's no way that I'm willingly letting my DC do the same. The amount of drink, drugs and crime that I was exposed to was (looking back) shocking.

Luckily, I got past the worst of this, went to uni as a mature student and now earning a salary that I only dreamed of ( which ironically is only the national average). I speak differently because you tend to pick up on those around you, many people that I work with are middle and upper class. If I still kept the same company as growing up, every other word would be a swear word, talking slang, etc. This isn't something that I've chosen, it's subconscious and now I cring thinking of what I was like 25 yrs ago.

Know your place, peasants! 🙄 Honestly, we are so lucky to have an access to the world and experience and education and other people and cultures that is unparalleled in history... can we celebrate that instead of trying to tear it down?

OP….are you anti northern? I’ve just realised, my grandmother, who was from Wigan, went to work for the families in a steel town! She then joined the RAF during ww2……what a fine actress she must have been.
she had a car, and could drive.
she had electricity in her house.
I will go so far as to say this though. I have a passport. I have left the country and travelled. But the annoying thing?
The little bit in my passport which states my place of birth.
The shame I carry.
I’m surprised I don’t get stopped and strip searched, or worse, refused entry into other countries.
I should. I too am from Doncaster.
But I am a warrior.

I knew this middle class lawyer who was so successful he actually became prime minister. Turned out his father was a toolmaker.

I don't know why he didn't just tell people that from the start.

Cross post. I totally understand modifying your accent or speaking slower so you can be understood. That's very different to reinventing yourself.

Op, have you just fallen into 2024 through the looking glass from 1825?

I remember reading about someone came from a working class background, went to a good university, 'married up' and consciously dropped their (I think it was) Brummy accent to get ahead. I totally get that education can change people, their habits, their social circles etc. but I think to consciously drop your accent is sacrificing a little bit of your soul. It kind of smacks of insecurity too.

I grew up in a council house, mum worked as a dinner lady step dad a builder. In pubs a lot as kids, parents were big drinkers. I am northern and have a very broad accent.

I am now 34, 3 children, partner, live in a housing association semi detached home I am very proud of. I worked bloody hard in insurance now I homeschool our youngest. and my partner works very hard too.
We don’t have loads of disposable income, holidays are camping.I don’t drink, I very rarely go out. I love staying at home, reading, baking, walking my dog and spending time with my family.
sometimes I try to refine my accent when we are away/im on the phone with a company for example, as past experience people struggle to understand me. I don’t do this because I think I’m above my station.

my parents were working class, I am working class. We help anyone and you will find most of the working class still hold the old school values of looking out for one another.

if ‘going up in the ranks’ means being around a judgemental, bitchy person like you then no thanks.
we’re happy in working class. We’re proud of who we are.

Working class doesn’t mean that you work, it means that you work in an unskilled manual role. Anyone who works in an office is middle class, anyone who has had extra education to learn a skill required for work is middle class.

I stopped reading . Why are you bothered?

I am in my 50s and have never ever met people and wondered what class they or their parents are or were.
i find it so weird that you ‘dig around’ that I guess this is a joke post.

Huh... of course no one stays the same their whole life..

Well, some people do and I find them to usually be incredibly small minded.

I have lived all over the world and always changed slightly depending on the culture of where I am and the people I socialise with. It is just human nature.
After a few years somewhere you can't help but change to carrying degrees.

Thinking that we are locked into the way our parents were and having to emulate that for a lifetime is utterly absurd.

We cannot control our childhoods, the decisions we make as adults shape us.

No one is pretending. You are angry that your assumptions turned out to not be true

WTF have I just read (not the thread, just the OP)! Unless people are actively lying to you - telling you they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth when they were not, for example - how are they doing anything but being themselves? You sound like my horrible sister - she aggressively presents herself in a certain way - dropping 'h's when she never used to in the past, using certain phrases she has heard other people doing, turning her nose up at anything that she considers posh (which is basically anything she does not like). We were born on a council estate but brought up to study hard, read, likes plays and films and speak nicely. In my mind, she is the far bigger snob than anyone you have described.

Oh hell.
I was born in a mining town.
Yet, I learned to read and write. Heck, even play a musical instrument and write poetry from time to time.
Instead of pulling sticks off bushes and trees to eat, I use cutlery now.
I carry the shame of my father being from Doncaster and even worse, my grandmother coming from Wigan.
And yet, I have bought teabags from Fortnum and Mason. With my own money.
I even went to the theatre last night. Mind you, the play was set in the north of England, with working class people, so to console myself and even scummier friend, we shared a box of ‘premium Lindnt’ chocolates.
Although please forgive me OP, there isn’t a Waitrose around for about 100 miles. That grates somewhat.

Exactly this 🤣
How dare they behave like a middle class when their parents worked in steel industry, how dare they.

Do you honestly give a shit?

Why are you so obsessed with people's classes?

A builder?!?!?!!!! A welder?!!!???

where THE FUCK do they get off?!????

Hyacinth, give it a rest ffs.

You mean to say that you’ve only just realized that the class system is nothing more than a massive pile of bollocks?

Anyone else imagining OP looks like this 😂

Are you Caroline Bingley?

Wtf? Why the hell does it matter?

Maybe she thinks or would be happy with welders and construction workers living in straw huts